The Cleveland Browns attempted to trade for Brandon Aiyuk, but a deal didn’t come to light. However, their willingness to trade for Aiyuk showed the Browns’ interest in landing a wide receiver.
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report proposed a deal for the Browns to add a different receiver. His trade pitch would send Amari Cooper and more to the Cincinnati Bengals for Ja’Marr Chase.
Browns would get: Chase
Bengals would get: Cooper, 2025 first-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick
“Despite making several trades to improve the receiver room in the last year, the Cleveland Browns still need some help in this department,” Kay wrote on August 27. “With an aging Amari Cooper leading a group that also features a pair of polarizing pass-catchers in Elijah Moore and Jerry Jeudy, there’s plenty of questions surrounding this unit heading into 2024…
“With the in-state rival Cincinnati Bengals struggling to come to terms on a contract extension for Ja’Marr Chase—who has been holding in during training camp while waiting for a new deal—the Browns could swoop in with a massive offer for the three-time Pro Bowler.”
Latest Contract Updates for Chase
Chase has been the subject of trade rumors during the offseason due to his interest in a new contract.
However, the Cincinnati Bengals have expressed interest in extending him at some point. Their owner spoke about the situation.
“He’s a key player,” Bengals owner Mike Brown told reporters In July. “Next to Joe, he’s our next one, and he knows it. We know it. This may take a while.
“We are gonna bend over backwards to get it done. I can’t tell you when though.”
Unlike Aiyuk and CeeDee Lamb, who are dealing with or have dealt with contract disputes, Chase still has two more years on his deal. Aiyuk and Lamb both had one year remaining.
He returned to practice on August 25, which is a good indication that he plans to play in their Week 1 game.
If the Bengals don’t agree to a new contract with him, Chase could hold out again. The Cleveland Browns would benefit from that.
Contract Prediction for Chase
If the Cleveland Browns traded for Chase, they’d have to be ready to pay him like one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. After Lamb agreed to a four-year, $136 million contract, Chase could be looking at a similar contract.
Kinnu Singh of FanSided predicted that Chase “could likely” land a four-year, $138 million deal.
“Chase could likely secure a four-year, $138 million contract with more than $100 million in guaranteed money,” Singh wrote on August 26. “That deal would place Chase in between Jefferson’s $140 million contract and Lamb’s $136 million contract, while providing the wide receiver with more guaranteed money.”
The Browns would’ve had to pay Aiyuk if they traded for him, so they seem ready to pay a wide receiver if they land one.
Chase would be the perfect wide receiver to pay due to his age and what he’s shown on the field. The 24-year-old has had at least 1,046 yards in each of his first three seasons.
He has 3,717 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 269 receptions in his young career.
Jon Conahan covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Since 2019, his sports coverage has appeared at Sports Illustrated, oddschecker, ClutchPoints and Sportskeeda. More about Jon Conahan
